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52|Follow The Trail
Last Updated:
2025-01-09 02:58:00
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Reckless Hearts 53|Not Backing Down For Anyone
"Out with it," Nikolai said once the door clicked in place, and they had all the privacy in the world. "With what?" "Your plan. What are you thinking?" "Mikhail plans to start his own outfit," Andrei announced. "Are you sure?" Nikolai asked, holding his head in his hands. "Jesus, Andrei, you can't go around making such accusations. The last time we thought someone planned to branch out—" "You killed an entire family," Andrei finished off his statement for him. "You killed Kristof and his entire family, and all for what?" "Why don't you just come right out and say it? Get it off your chest. I know you still hate me for what I did to Mila—" "Papa!" Andrei gritted his teeth, the rage he'd long locked away threatening to break free. "I begged you not to do it. I pleaded with you to stand down, and what the hell did you do? You slaughtered all of them, and for what?" "I was acting on the information I had at the time!" Nikolai defended himself as he stood up and glared at him, his
Last Updated : 2025-01-09Reckless Hearts 54|Insanity At Its Finest
Holly awakened to a deluge of emails and DM's on her social networks. All were from Cooper. All were sent after she blocked his phone number. And all were in the same vein, gravitating between despair and deranged threats. "This is crazy," she whispered as she read one of his emails, her eyes growing huge with disbelief and disgust the further down she went. She wasn't expecting an apology, but Cooper was truly doing the most by trying to minimise his actions and going as far as placing all the blame on her. It was one thing to assault her and another to absolve himself of all blame. This was insanity at its finest, and his cowardly actions left a bitter taste in her mouth. She made up her mind there and then to make him account for his actions. Mad as hell and ready to take back the power Cooper had stolen from her, Holly grabbed her laptop and gobbled down two hazel-nut croissants and three cups of coffee while searching the internet for information on applying for a protection o
Last Updated : 2025-01-09Reckless Hearts 55|A Mess Of Things
Holly didn't realise she'd spoken out loud until the nurse replied with a genial smile, "I thought you knew? Isn't that why you're here?" "What's wrong with him?" Holly asked, shooting the nurse a pleading look. "Are you a family member?" Holly shook her head, and the nurse clammed up when she realised she may have shared more than she should have. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be discussing this with you," the nurse quickly excused herself, but Holly stopped her before she could slip away. "I know you can't tell me anything about Mr Ivanov's condition, but can you, at least, answer this?" "What?" "Mr Ivanov's son—" "He has a son?" The nurse's shocked response told Holly everything she needed to know. She thanked her for her time and retraced her steps, her mind racing with a million thoughts as Eric drove her to Glen Eagles. Her parents, cosying up around the fire in the living room, were surprised but happy to see her. Her father immediately scooted over to make room for her on
Last Updated : 2025-01-09Reckless Hearts 56|Locked In
Holly dashed to the guest bathroom and closed the door before returning Andrei's call. It rang for a long time before his voicemail picked up. She didn't leave a message because she doubted people still checked their voice messages. So she texted him, asking him to return her call. She lingered in the bathroom, thinking he'd call back. But when five minutes had passed, and he still hadn't called, she left the bathroom, stunned to find her parents waiting just outside the door with worried frowns etched on their faces. "What is it?" Holly asked, her gut tightening as her mind began racing with frightening thoughts. "Did something happen? Is it Willow? Is it Liam?" "No, honey," Lois replied. "We thought...we thought..." "I was hurting myself," Holly finished off the words for her. "Were you?" Clarke asked. "Of course not!" Holly said, shaking her head. "I promised I wouldn't." And she hadn't cut herself since her chat with Katherine. But Lord knew it was hard, especially after h
Last Updated : 2025-01-09Reckless Hearts 57|Thief Of Hearts
"Are you okay?" Andrei asked, sitting down on the opposite end of the elevator, and resting his back against the wall. "I'm fine," Holly responded with a quick nod, assuring him. She was more than fine, actually. How could she not be when she was alive and well? For a terrifying moment there, it didn't look good. She'd been so damn sure that this was it for them, that they'd be plunged to their horrific deaths and end up as minced meat at the bottom of the elevator shaft. "This is probably not how you wanted to spend your evening," Andrei said, his jaw clenched, his eyes closed as he massaged his neck. "It's okay," she replied, focusing on the positives. After all, there were far worse fates than being stuck in an elevator with the man of her dreams. A man with whom she had just shared a passionate kiss moments before disaster struck. Holly's hand automatically flew to her mouth, lightly touching her lips with her fingertips at the memory of their kiss, the feel of Andrei's arms a
Last Updated : 2025-01-21Reckless Hearts 58|Like Drinking Poison
Holly gulped at the intensity of Andrei's gaze, flicking her tongue over her suddenly parched lips as she rubbed her clammy hands on her pants. "You have got to stop doing that," he groaned, holding his head in his hands. Wide-eyed, she asked, "What? What did I do?" "That thing you do with your tongue!" "What thing?" "Forget it!" Andrei replied. "Just don't do it!" "Fine then!" Holly laughed, returning to the dull, throbbing pain in her knee. She'd banged it up pretty badly when they were thrown around the elevator earlier, and now Dawid's hard work had gone to waste. "So?" Andrei prompted her, jerking his head at her knee. "It's a little sore," she admitted. "But I'll live." "You should sue Van Holt Industries," he ranted, the ghostly torchlight on his phone illuminating his chiselled face. If 'golden ratio' was a person, it was definitely Andrei. His sculpted features created a perfect sense of balance and harmony— "—So you're okay with this? With being stuck here for hou
Last Updated : 2025-01-21Reckless Hearts 59|A Constant Hunger
"Well, well! What do we have here?" Colleen, winking slyly at the two of them, was the first to pick her jaw up off the floor. Levi, on the other hand, opened and shut his mouth several times, clearly struggling for something to say. "Don't just stand there; grab her crutches and handbag!" Andrei instructed them as he scooped Holly up in his arms and stepped out of the elevator car. He paused mid-step, calling over his shoulder at Levi, to lead the way. "Excuse me?" Levi dashed after them, easily keeping up with Andrei's momentum by matching his long strides. "You heard me! Lead the way to your private elevator. We are not getting in that one again—" Andrei stopped and indicated at the lift they'd just vacated by extending his thumb behind him. "How the hell do we know it won't malfunction again?" He asked, glaring at Colleen and Levi. "Not to mention Holly banged up her knee badly because of your old, barely-maintained elevator!" "Drei, stop it," Holly whispered, wishing the grou
Last Updated : 2025-01-21Reckless Hearts 60|Playing A Dangerous Game
On the other side of the door, in the living area, Andrei was battling his own struggles. The only difference, though, was that his were totally self-made. Levi had pounced on him as soon as Holly and Colleen locked themselves in the bedroom, demanding to know what he was playing at. But no matter how many times Andrei told him to calm down and let go of his not-so-farfetched suspicions, Levi wouldn't back down. "What the hell do you think Liam will say to this?" He asked for the gazillionth time, and Andrei closed his eyes in frustration, replying for the gazillionth time that he couldn't care less what Liam thought because nothing was going on between him and Holly. "How many times do I need to say it? There is nothing shady going on here. It's just business!" "What kind of business?" Levi pressed, following him onto the patio. Andrei shoved a cigarette in his mouth and lit it up, taking a long, angry drag as he weighed all his options. "So, what kind of business do you have
Last Updated : 2025-01-21
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Reckless Hearts 105|Holding The Match And Gasoline
"Behind what?" Nikolai looked confused, but Andrei didn't buy his act one bit. After all, he was a master manipulator. "You know damn well what I'm talking about!" Andrei shouted as he backed away, terrified that if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to resist the urge to grab his father by the throat and strangle him to death with his bare hands. Nikolai shut the door and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're crashing out. Pull yourself together." "Don't tell me to pull myself together!" Andrei yelled, steepling his hands as he sat on the edge of his desk. "You were behind Holly's accident—" "What accident?" Nikolai demanded, and when Andrei filled him in, he was adamant he had nothing to do with the shitshow on Church Street. "That's all on you, Son," he said, still leaning on the door. "What the hell did you think would happen when you held Veronika at gunpoint?" "No," Andrei shook his head in denial, but deep down, he knew his old man was right. He'd put
Reckless Hearts 104|By Any Means Necessary
All eight photos of Holly, taken at various nightclubs in Rock Castle, including Crush, painted her in a terrible light. But the most disturbing was the one of her snogging Cooper at the Institute just a few weeks back. "Why do you have these?" Andrei stammered, seeing the future he'd envisioned slip through his fingers. "How do you even have these photos?" "Does it matter?" Nikolai replied as he draped his hands behind his head and crossed his legs. "All that matters is your jig is up." "It wasn't an act." "Yes, it was," said Nikolai. "I knew you were both up to shit last night when the Anderson lass showed up with her gift bags like Freddie Krueger handing out candy on Halloween. And I admit, all that jazz about loving you since she was sixteen and wanting to protect you was touching. But I knew there was no shred of truth in her words. Not with that photo of her and her lover floating all over the internet." "They broke up," Andrei explained. "They are not together anymore."
Reckless Hearts 103|The Trouble With Masks
"Right!" Andrei nodded, his shoulders drooping in defeat. The quick five-minute chat he'd hoped for would be much longer, it seemed. So he buzzed Monique and asked her to bring refreshments and the Nexus file. "Yes, Mr Ivanov," she said before strutting out of the room. She was back before Andrei had even settled down in his office chair, making small talk with Nikolai while she poured him a cup of coffee and handed him the Nexus folder. When she was done, she excused herself, reminding Andrei she was a phone call away if he needed something. With a bitter smile, Andrei waved her off. The only thing he needed was an update on Holly. So, while his father browsed the Nexus file, Andrei texted Lev, demanding an update. 'Still nothing,' came Lev's response, and Andrei had to dig deep inside himself for every ounce of self-control to not hurl his phone across the room, the knot in his stomach growing bigger the longer the waiting game continued. "Is everything okay?" Nikolai looke
Reckless Hearts 102|Difference Between Life And Death
With the situation well beyond his control, Andrei had no choice but to sit and patiently wait for Lev's call. But, ten minutes in, and his head of security still hadn't called, Andrei tried Holly again. Her phone didn't ring this time, the dead tone thrusting him into utter despair. He was always an optimist, a glass-full kind of guy. He had to be. His role as the number two of the family required him to always present a confident facade. How else would he negotiate high-stakes deals and run one of the country's most powerful crime families if he weren't? But the mess with Holly and Veronika was forcing him to put aside his rose-tinted glasses and see it for exactly what it was: a catastrophic failure on his part and his first real test at keeping his word to Liam. Two nights ago, he'd thrown down the gauntlet to Liam and swore he'd do a far better job of protecting Holly than the Andersons had ever done. If he failed… If Holly didn't make it out of the disaster unfolding on Ch
Reckless Hearts 101|Bring Him To His Knees
Sometime during his morning commute to work, Andrei came to the firm conclusion that he was an asshole. But, it wasn't something he would have readily admitted to if it weren't for his long chat with Ivan. His lieutenant had rightly pointed out that his shock at finding Juan's drugs in Holly's possession was perfectly understandable. His reaction, though, was over the top. He could have handled their 'talk' with far more grace and owed Holly an apology. Of course, even before chatting with Ivan, Andrei had already planned to surprise Holly with a bunch of peonies later, kiss the hell out of her and whisk her off to lunch at her favourite restaurant where he'd beg for forgiveness. So, as soon as he settled down in his office, he called the florist to order the flowers. But Diane soured his mood, telling him he'd have to wait at least two weeks since peonies were no longer in season and would have to be imported. "Can I interest you in roses instead?" she asked. "No, Diane. Roses
Reckless Hearts 100|Just Getting Started
You know how in movies, just before you die, time seems to slow down, and your life flashes in front of your eyes, making you question every decision, every choice you've ever made leading up to that moment? Sometimes, some long-dead relative, shrouded by a halo of light, is waiting for you at the end of a long, narrow tunnel to help you crossover. And other times, it's just the light. All you have to do is walk towards it. Holly didn't get any of that. No long-dead relative was waiting for her. No bright light to walk towards. No memories of her life flashed by. And time definitely didn't slow down. In fact, she was aware of every excruciating second as the car hit a traffic light and spun around several times before, ironically, crashing into a luxury car dealership on the corner of Church Street, missing a shiny Range Rover by mere inches. When the car salesmen—going about their mundane morning just moments before disaster struck— screamed and jumped out of the way, du
Reckless Hearts 99|Larger Than Life
A mournful sigh slipped through Holly's lips as she pushed the laptop away and picked up her now-cold coffee. As much as she wanted to look away, her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own. They remained glued to a Polaroid photo of Isabella taken in one of the studios at the Institute while she was in croisé devant, a pose in which the dancer stands facing a corner at an angle to the audience.Knowing what Holly knew now about the circumstances leading up to Isabella's tragic end, it wasn't hard to figure out who had taken the photo. Her own socials were littered with such images, and she always joked that if dancing didn't work out for Cooper, he could always go into photography. Of course, he didn't have the technical know-how. But there was something special about how he captured his subjects...He had a way of making them appear larger than life, like they were the centre of the universe and everything around them existed purely for them. Looking at the photos, at the fragments
Reckless Hearts 98|Parallels
After Andrei insisted on driving her to The Castle, Holly had planned to jump straight into bed and pass out. But, agitated and heartbroken, hours later, when the sun finally came up, she was still tossing and turning, going over their fight. Never in her wildest dreams would Holly have imagined that her first-ever argument with Andrei would be over some stupid snuff bullet that wasn't even hers. At the heart of it, though, she wasn't all cut up because Andrei had insinuated she was a junkie. Everything he said was true. She was a cokehead and owned her addiction. What really messed her up was that he didn't believe a word she said about the capsule not being hers. After everything they'd been through, hearing her out was the least he could have done. But the distrust in his eyes, like she wasn't worthy of being given the benefit of the doubt simply because she was a drug user, had damn near killed her. In that moment, with his unfounded accusations smashing down on her like a to
Reckless Hearts 97|Bad For Business
"You know the rules," Igor stepped in. If there was ever a time when Andrei wanted to throttle him, it was then. He not only knew the rules, but also enforced them diligently by subjecting the family's top management to random drug testing and running background checks on potential girlfriends. So, Igor playing the rules card felt like a fucking slap in the face."Holly is compromised," insisted Ivan, siding with Igor. "She's bad for business!""Watch yourself!" Andrei growled. "That's my future wife you're talking about!""Oh, for fuck's sake! After everything we've just said, you can't still be thinking about going through with this marriage. Your father will not allow it!""After the shit he pulled with Veronika, I'm done with my father. Holly and I will still get married as planned!""So what exactly did Papa Ivanov do?" asked Ivan, picking up his cutlery again."What didn't he do?" said Andrei, linking his hands behind his head. Without further prompting from his lieutenants, he
